salads

I think I’ve finally figured out why I’m such a salad fanatic and the it turns out it isn’t much of a mystery at all… I’m all about vegetables. And, oddly enough, it doesn’t have anything to do with their nutritional value. That’s just a bonus. I love the taste, the crunch, and the visual appeal of vegetables and a salad is sort of a masterpiece where they all come together.

Okay, so that’s a little flowery, but you get the idea.

Food 52 Mighty Salads: 60 Ways to Turn Salad Into Dinner is, understandably, my latest cookbook obsession. Here’s the thing about cookbooks – you can (and should) try out the recipes, as instructed… only substituting where necessary – like for allergies or intolerances or for ingredients you either can’t find or have zero intention of paying for (I’m looking at you $saffron). However, you can (and most definitely SHOULD) also use recipes in cookbooks as “guides” and “inspiration.” Mighty Salads is a beautiful example of the latter, in particular.

Granted, when it comes to salads, I am a pro. If salad making were a sport, I’d be LeBron James, Serena Williams, Peyton Manning, and Albert Pujols rolled into one. Sorry, I just don’t have time for modesty today. However, even I found innumerable ideas and creative inspirations in Mighty Salads. There were techniques I’d never thought of and even ingredients I’d never considered.

While salads are beautiful and delicious, they can also be next level nutritious, especially when you can add a variety of vegetables or fruits to your creation. So, a cookbook that gives you countless ideas for doing so is… in my opinion… priceless.

From the Inside Cover:

A collection of 60 recipes for turning ordinary salads into one-dish worthy meals.

Does anybody need a recipe to make a salad? Of course not. But if you want your salad to hold strong in your lunch bag or carry the day as a one-bowl dinner, dressing on lettuce isn’t going to cut it.

Make way for Mighty Salads, in which the editors of Food52 present sixty salads hefty with vegetables, meats, grains, beans, fish, seafood, pasta, and bread. Think shrimp and radicchio tossed in a bacon vinaigrette, a make-ahead jumble of white beans with charred lemon and fennel, slow-roasted duck and apples scattered across spicy greens. It’s comforting food made captivating by simply charring one ingredient or marinating another—shaving some, or roasting a bunch.

But because we don’t always follow recipes, there are also loose formulas for confident off-roading, as well as back-pocket tips and genius tricks for improving any old salad. Because once you know how to fix too-salty dressing, wash greens once and for all, keep an avocado from browning, and even sprout your own grains, the humble salad starts looking a lot more interesting—and a whole lot more like dinner.

Salad recipes, tips, and ideas cover lettuce-based salads, pasta salads, and potato salads. While this is not a “gluten-free” cookbook, each recipe can be easily adapted to fit those of us who have to or choose to eat gluten-free. Also, while there are a lot of recipes that call for meat, vegetarians will find them equally easy to tweak. In fact, I think this cookbook is IDEAL for vegetarians (as well as anyone looking for ways to add more vegetables to their diet.

I just can’t tell you how many innovative ideas and creative tips are included in this one very handsome cookbook. It’s packed with them!

{Continued Below….}

Recipes Include:

Fresh Corn Cakes With Crab-Tomato Salad

Roasted Potato Salad with Mustard-Walnut Vinaigrette

Wilted Escarole with Feta and Honey

Grilled Bread, Broccoli Rabe & Summer Squash Salad

Lemony Greek Pasta Salad

Thai Pork Salad with Crisped Rice

Charred Broccoli & Lentil Salad

Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Endive & Apple Salad

And many, many more great salad recipes and ideas.

“While Emily’s and the other recipes in this book are mighty, they are just the beginning. Even if you never make a single recipe in the book to completion but instead create a mash-up you like better or that serves as a happy home for your leftover vegetables, we’ve done our job.” – From the Introduction

When doing cookbook reviews, I detest the idea of giving away any of the recipes or tips the author(s) work so hard to compile. However, sometimes a “tease” helps give the reader an idea of what they can expect – as well as a hint as to why I’m so excited about the book. One of the coolest ideas I take away from this book of beautiful and innovative recipes is the idea of “shaving” unexpected vegetables into salads. Brussels Sprouts, asparagus, and beets to name a few. The “shaving” technique makes them easier to incorporate into a salad, easier to eat, and… let’s face it… beautiful to behold (and photograph, if you’re a food blogger and/or foodie).

I also (as an experienced salad pro… still zero hint of modesty) found myself saying, “I agree!” or “Preach on!” again and again. For example, when making your salad’s dressing, they tout the importance of taste-testing the dressing, not on a spoon or finger, but on one of the salad’s stars. A great dressing is meant to be a co-star – it isn’t meant to be the star attraction. It should compliment the diva of the salad and the best way to see if it’s worthy of sharing the spotlight is to test it on a cast member.

I completely and whole-heartedly recommend Food52 Mighty Salads: 60 New Ways to Turn Salad into Dinner. It’s a great-looking cookbook that’ll make your kitchen healthier, more colorful, more creative, and (perhaps most importantly) more delicious. If you click through any of the links above, you’ll find a recipe from the book: Cobb Salad with Hard-Boiled Egg Dressing!

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

What you’re looking at, above, is what happens when a gal who grew up eating delicious Big Macs like it was her job gets a killer craving BUT now has to eat entirely gluten-free.

A “Big Mac Salad.”

I’ve found that when I crave anything in particular that I can no longer have, it’s almost never the gluten/wheat that I’m craving. It’s all the other flavors. And the wonderful thing about flavors is this – they can be recreated, on your own terms… and in this case, the terms are gluten-free.

Lots of Cheese – Lots. Of. Cheese.

When I recreate flavors, I generally turn to one of two approaches:

Salads

Bowls

This one was pretty obvious – what I needed was a Big Mac Salad.

Before going any further, let’s take a minute to appreciate the Big Mac. This sandwich is one of the best-tasting fast food sandwiches known to mankind. The combo of the hamburgers, lettuce, and that sauce… holy cats, there’s just nothing about them I don’t love.

To recreate this lifelong favorite, I had to determine the different flavors/ingredients of this beautiful (yet decidedly not gluten-free) sandwich:

all beef patties

“special sauce” (Thousand Island)

lettuce

cheese

pickles

onions

… “on a sesame seed bun” (hearing the jingle in your head yet?)

Lettuce, hamburgers, shredded cheddar cheese, and pickles are easy enough – you just have to know the right ingredients and invite them to the party. If I were making this salad and knew we’d be eating it at one setting, I would have added white onion (after sauteing it in the hamburger’s skillet). However, I knew that I’d be sending leftovers to work with my husband for his lunch the next day and I didn’t trust white onions to refrain from “taking over,” so I went with green onions. They’re milder and don’t overpower a salad overnight. If I’d had scallions or red onion, I might have used one of them.

But, I love green onions to the ends of the earth and back, so I went with them.

As for pickles, I chopped my hamburger pickles into fourths and tossed them into the salad. I ended up adding a few extras to my salad because it just seemed like the right thing to do. As you can tell, I decided to keep this whole salad really chunky. I wanted to have the full-effect of a Big Mac, so everything went into the salad in hefty portions.

As for the “special sauce,” that’s none other than a bottle of Thousand Island dressing. If you have to eat gluten-free, too, be sure to read the label and make certain the dressing is gluten-free.

One of the most distinctive flavors of a Big Mac are the sesame seeds on the bun. Truth be told, they’re one of the funnest things about the whole situation, aren’t they? I didn’t have any gluten-free hamburger buns on hand when the craving hit, so I simply lightly buttered some gluten free bread, tossed some sesame seeds on top, and toasted them – making, in effect, sesame seed croutons for the salad.

I cut up plain old American cheese slices and threw them into the salad. When trying to copy cheeseburgers you fall in love with in fast food restaurants, the American Cheese slices are the way to go. Sure, the fancier cheeses are delicious for everything else, but go with the old familiar plastic-wrapped slices for this sort of situation. It makes such a huge difference.

Because I’m an anal food-blogger always looking for the best picture, I also added shredded cheese on top (as you can see in one of the pictures above). HOWEVER, the best taste came from the American cheese slices. When you get a fork filled with the cheese, beef, lettuce, pickle, crouton, and sauce…. it’s just amazing.

It sent my brain and taste buds right back to a booth in the McDonald’s in my hometown and it was a very tasty trip.

As you know, I have an obsession with salads. I’m a self-confessed salad addict and hope to never be cured. If only all of my food fixations were as healthy.

Yeah, I’m looking at you chocolate sundaes.

The book pictured here, as you’d imagine, is a dream come true for all of us who love salads like most people love cookies. Salad Love: Crunchy, Savory, and Filling Meals You Can Make Every Day is, in a word, perfect. It’s beautiful, has gorgeous photographs throughout, and is packed with unique, delicious, and easy to pull together salads and salad dressings.

From the Inside Cover:

Determined to eat more vegetables for lunch, David Bez embarked on a personal challenge to create one new salad every day using seasonal, healthy ingredients. In Salad Love, he shares his favorite recipes from his yearlong experience. Crunchy, savory, and incredibly satisfying, these salads go beyond your typical combination of lettuce, protein, and toppings to create vibrant, plant-based meals that offer something for every palate. In summer, try Oak-Smoked Cheddar, Peaches, and Blueberries; for fall, savor hearty Roast Chicken, Quinoa, Red Pepper, and Peanuts; in winter, fuel up with Ham, Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, and Dried Cranberries; and in spring, enjoy Egg, Asparagus, Croutons, and Pecorino.

Complemented by 280 full-color photographs, Salad Love invites to you explore inspired salads any day of the year.

I love the fact that Salad Love is divided into four seasons. This allows you to find perfect salads for whatever time of year it is. Naturally, you can make any salad in the book any darn time you want to – but the freshness of the ingredients will change with the seasons.

In addition to the 260 Salad Meals (again, beautifully photographed with easy to follow details), Salad Love also includes nutritional information, tips, and “salad tools” the author utilizes to make his salads the best they can be. You’ll probably already have all of these on hand.

There are 24 easy to make dressings also included in Salad Love. A few of these include:

French Mustard

Toasted Sesame

Classic Italian

Wasabi and Soy Sauce

Nut and Lemon

Raw Green Pesto

Citrus

Lemon Zest

Plus a lot more!

The salads in this book are unique in that each stands on its own. There is no need for extra food – each salad can, in fact, be your meal. That’s one of the things I love most about salads – they’re filling, nutritious, and absolutely perfect any time of the day.

Review continued below the picture…

About the Author

DAVID BEZ is the author of Salad Pride, a blog that chronicles his personal challenge to make one new salad a day for an entire year. A home cook, David created the blog after his coworkers expressed interest in his daily lunches. He lives in London with his wife and daughter.

“I love salads and it hurts me when they are treated just as a sad and unsexy side dish. Salads can be creative and balanced, healthy and tasty, a fulfilling meal.” –David Bez

If, like me, salads are something of an obsession, you’ll want to click through and grab a copy of Salad Love pronto, if not sooner.

If, very unlike me, you’re just “meh” about salads, you’ll also want a copy! As I was looking through the book earlier, it occurred to me, if someone wasn’t “turned on by” salads, this book would flip their switch!

This beautiful (seriously, it really is a knock out) book is a must have for anyone and everyone. It would also make a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, or birthdays. How can you beat giving a beautiful, useful gift that’ll could also make your loved one eat healthier?!

Have you ever met a salad fanatic? Someone who is so completely consumed with salads that they anticipate their salad at a restaurant the way most people anticipate steak? Someone who surveys the produce department like a cat surveys a bird feeder – looking for tasty morsels to light up their taste buds and, thereby, world?

Well. You’ve met one now.

Obsessed. I am completely obsessed with salads of all kinds – tossed, potato, gelatin, pasta, fruit, bean… you name it, I’m there. I am SO there.

My particular “problem” occurred to me recently when my husband took me out for lunch at a wonderful steak house. My reaction to and enjoyment of my salad equaled his reaction to and enjoyment of his steak.

Truth be told, if I could – at this very moment – either have my steak or salad magically appear in front of me, I’d take the salad. And his too if he didn’t mind. I’d trade my steak for it.

I’ve always had a section on the food blog for salads, salad recipes, and good old-fashioned salad love, but I’m (even as we speak… okay, I’m the only one speaking, aren’t I?… make that even as I speak) throwing a lot more energy and emphasis into salads.

There are a number of reasons, a few of which are:

We all need to eat healthier. Salads are, primarily, made up of vegetables and fruit – things we should eat A LOT more of. Salads are the IDEAL way to go about it. Ever stop to think how many servings of vegetables and fruits you can consume each day if you simply ate more salads?

Salads are the perfect “side” to just about any meal. They’re inexpensive to make, healthy, colorful, and delicious. And don’t add a ton of calories.

Salads can be the perfect “main” dish for any meal. If you add a little protein (hard boiled eggs, turkey, chicken..) to the vegetables, you turn a classic side into a classic main course.

Salads are pretty! Okay, so this reason may be a “girly” one, but I don’t care. They ARE pretty and I like that.

The options are endless. Honestly, you could, literally, come up with different combinations each and every time you had a salad.

Salads are perfect for those of us with food allergies and intolerances. So many of us have food allergies and food intolerances these days – it’s a great comfort to know there are foods that are usually safe for all of us. You simply don’t add anything to your salad that causes you problems. Special note, if you’re gluten intolerant or have a wheat allergy – when you’re in a restaurant, be sure you tell your server that you don’t want any croutons. If, like me, you’re extra sensitive, let them know you can’t have any salad that has come into contact with croutons.

The tossed salad at the top of the post is a great example of combining delicious flavors with healthy foods. I love to use a mixture of greens in the tossed salads I make at home. Romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, iceberg lettuce (it may get a bad rep with food snobs, but I love the freshness and crunch it brings to the party) – any kind of lettuce you can find is perfect. The magic, however, is in combining several in one salad.

In addition to lettuces, I have gotten to the point that I simply do not make a tossed salad with strips of kale! Kale is uncommonly healthy and I’m crazy about what it adds to a salad. Same can be said of spinach, of course, but kale happens to be my personal favorite.

In addition to these, a few other personal favorite tossed salad ingredients are:

black olives

carrots (either shredded or sliced)

celery

tomatoes (but I have a strict rule with tomatoes in my salads – they can only be added at the last minute – otherwise, I don’t like the effect they have on the rest of the ingredients)

A few days ago, my stomach let me know that it was time for a quick lunch break. Since I work from home, I have the luxury of setting my lunch clock internally. I knew I wanted something fresh, healthy, filling, and (since I had plans for a big supper) light in the calorie department.

I came up with a Chickpea and Kale Salad that was as delicious and filling as it was healthy. I added a little red onion. Little secret: when no one else is around, I call them purple onions because… well, they aren’t red anymore than I am. They are, however purple. The fact that this is something I take issue with probably tells you everything you need to ever know about me.

I’m certifiable… I’ve just yet to be certified.

Let your love for each ingredient – and your own personal taste – guide you with the amounts of each ingredient. For that matter, feel free to add to the list.

I chose the following:

Fresh Kale, cut into small pieces

Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

The juice of one lemon, along with a little lemon zest to keep things pretty

A couple of red onion rings

Very finely minced garlic

Freshly ground pepper

A tiny amount of sea salt

A splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

It was darn good, which I pretty much expected because I love each ingredient with a particular passion. However, I honestly didn’t expect it to be so filling. I couldn’t even eat my entire salad. I put a lid on the leftovers and saved it for later.

The combination of chickpeas and kale was out of this world. The splash of lemon made it all come together beautifully.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas

Chickpeas are more than just a cute face – although they are pretty darn cute at that. They’re filling, fun to cook with, and have a great flavor. But there’s more. Garbanzo Beans (or Chickpeas) are a great source of fiber and are known to help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. Just 3/4 cup of chickpeas daily can reduce your risk of heart disease by helping to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

Throw chickpeas into tossed, bean, or pasta salads and soups for extra nutritional value, texture, and flavor. Making hummus is another perfect way to enjoy chickpeas.

I may be an extreme chickpea fanatic, but I enjoy them as a snack all by themselves. I drain them, rinse them, and pop them in my mouth like popcorn. So good!

Health Benefits of Kale

Kale comes with its own list of health benefits. One cup of kale has zero fat and only about 36 calories, making it a great choice for calorie counters. Best of all, its high in vitamins and antioxidants.

Kale is something of a super food. Just look at its benefits:

The fiber in kale fills you up and lowers cholesterol.

The Vitamin C in Kale can help ward off diseases and infections as it strengthens your immune system.

The Vitamin C in Kale is also essential for healthy joints.

Kale also has Vitamin A which can keep your eyes healthy as you age.

Kale actually has more iron than beef!

Kale is excellent for healthy skin, hair, and nails – making it a delicious beauty secret.

So, Kale can help you lose weight and/or keep it off, fight off diseases, protect your eyesight and joints, build stronger bones AND make you pretty so pretty? What’s not to love?

Enjoy Kale in green smoothies, in salads, and soups. One of my favorite ways to prepare kale is a baked kale recipe I found on the Cooking Channel’s website. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s awesome.

Health Benefits of Red Onions

Red.. .ahem… onions (and yellow onions, for that matter) have an impressive list of health benefits, but the one that jumps out at me is their antioxidant power. These onions are some of the best natural sources of quercetin. All you really need to know about quercetin is that it’s a scavenger when it comes to free radicals.

Red onions also have cancer-fighting properties which is, all by itself, more than reason enough to include them in as many meals as possible. I love the versatility of red onions, as well as their bright color. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a bad red onion. They’re always just perfect for whatever I ask them to do.

You’re probably already familiar with the heart healthy benefits of olive oil and garlic, so I won’t get into their nutritional value right now. Quite frankly, I could be here all day talking about their health benefits because they seemingly go on forever.

A final word about eating healthy: When you eat healthy foods regularly, you’ll find that your “junk food” cravings will decrease significantly. I actually find myself craving great salads, soups, vegetables, and fresh fruit these days.. instead of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, doughnuts, and fries. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen.

Baby Spinach, Grape, and Walnut Salad: A Vegetarian Recipe

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, pepper, and oregano with a blender, mixer, or fork until thoroughly mixed.

Add spinach, sliced grapes, and walnuts to the bowl, and toss with vinaigrette. Serve on a chilled plate.

And a great tip from The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Being Vegetarian – Second Edition: To maintain your frozen vegetables’ nutrients, do not cook or zap them in a microwave. Instead, to thaw frozen vegetables for a salad, simply put the vegetables in a strainer and run hot water over them for about 30 seconds until they’re thawed.

I use the technique above each time I make Spinach Artichoke dip – works brilliantly!

Yum! This week I’ve been trying delicious different sandwich and salad combinations with Mezzetta Roasted Red Peppers and Peperoncini rings. They’re ideal for paninis as well as hero-style sandwiches, of course, but we’ve also found them to be scrumptious on Boca burgers. Combined with a little minced, sauteed garlic, red pepper strips make a Boca Burger irresistible.

A few nights back, I made a killer, killer, killer salad. It was based on a recipe from one of the best cookbooks you’ll ever find – Nigella Express. Her recipe called for jalapeno peppers but I substituted them with Mezzetta’s Roasted Red Peppers. (I’ll post the recipe later today – You’re going to flip for it.)

On Mezzetta’s web site, you’ll find endless great recipes, like the one for Moroccan Melts. You’ll also find information for a great Sandwich Contest – but you’ll have to shake a let, the deadline’s almost here. I dropped the ball… or the sandwich, as it were. I could have sworn the deadline was months away. I was going to post about the contest and even put up a little graphic – but BAM, I go to get the info and realize that the deadline? It’s practically hours away!

Geez. Enjoy the recipes, though. And grab a jar of Mezzetta’s Roasted Red Peppers and Mezzetta’s Peperoncini. They’re fantastic alongside anything and were made to grace salads, pizzas, pasta, and sandwiches. The Red Peppers are also unbelievable in omelets, scrambled eggs, and hummus.

Take center stage at your next gathering or event with this delicious savory side salad from “Flavors of America” TV Chef Jim Coleman and Chef’sChoice.

Chef Coleman teamed up with Chef’sChoice to create this flavorful “Spicy Egg & Potato Salad” as a guaranteed crowd pleaser, providing a spicy new twist on a traditional dish. Easy to make with just a few key ingredients, it’s a perfect side dish for any gathering.

For Potatoes:
In large saucepan, over high heat, bring enough salted water to cover the potatoes to a boil. Add potatoes and reduce heat, simmering 10-15 minutes (maybe more or less depending on the size you cut the potatoes) or until tender. Drain the potatoes and let cool to room temperature.

Make the egg salad:
Peel eggs and coarsely chop them to approximately the same size as the potatoes. (The key to this dish is properly cooked eggs to the correct doneness. Be careful not to overcook the eggs).In a medium to large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, shallots, hot pepper, rice wine vinegar, salt and trio of pepper. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours (longer is fine as well) to allow the flavors to “infuse”.

An hour before serving, remove salad from refrigerator and gently fold in eggs, potatoes and green onions, lightly mixing until well combined. Serves 6.

For fuss-free perfect eggs, try the Chefs Choice® Gourmet Egg Cooker 810. It automatically prepares up to 7 eggs. Eggs in the same batch can be combined to cook some soft, others medium or hard boiled!

Recipe Directions:Rinse and drain beans. In a large bowl, layer half of the lettuce, tuna, beans, corn, and ranch dressing. Repeat first five layers; top with salsa; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and chill for 1/2 hour before serving.

Recipe Prep Time: 15 minutes
Recipe Serves: 6

Have you tried these Starkist Pouches yet? They are beyond amazing.

I usually have mine on wheat bread with a little mayo, onion and lettuce. Spectacular and quick – that’s hard to beat. They’re also perfect for crackers and, of course, salads.

They’re ideal for taking to work or school, to make sure your lunch and/or snack is healthy and nutritious – rather than greasy and disasterous!

The gloriously beautiful and nutritious salad recipe below is courtesy of Self Magazine’s web site, Self.com. It’s just one of the lettuce-less salads they recently featured in a slide show.

These salads are from the April 2009 issue and, in addition to the Chilled Shrimp Salad (below), include an Udon Noodle Salad. It looks AMAZING and I can’t wait to try it. As a shrimp addict, however, I have to go for the Chilled Shrimp Salad first, though.

The Chilled Shrimp Salad is rich in protein, antioxidants, and niacin (which, as Self points out, is great for your skin). Click HERE to see all of these great salad recipes. While on the site, check out the tons of other healthy recipes and articles. I could spend hours on their site reading articles without ever looking up.

For salad: Fill a 4-quart saucepan with water and bring to a boil; add lemon juice, lemon rind, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt. Add shrimp, cover, remove from heat and let stand until shrimp is cooked, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool 10 minutes, then refrigerate 30 minutes. Line a large platter with watermelon and tomatoes. Top with shrimp, feta and basil. Drizzle with dressing.

Subscribe to Get Cooking

Whether you need to contact me for advertising, reviews, recipes, or simply to say, “Hi!,” I look forward to hearing from you.

Contact me through e-mail at joisigers@aim.com and connect with me through social media (see above).

I do not claim to have taken all of the photographs on this website. I did not take any of the “product” or “affiliate” merchandise photos, nor do I claim to own them. If you are a photographer that sees something you want removed, simply e-mail me!